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"Combining philosophical and political analysis, this study offers a comprehensive reassessment of Castoriadis' contribution to critical theory in and through his critical confrontation with both the crisis of the traditional Left and the crisis of modern capitalist societies. The key concepts of 'crisis' and 'critique' are considered throughout the text and Castoriadis' ideas are situated in a critical debate with other radical thinkers, such as Lefort, Pannekoek, Arendt, Althusser, Axelos, Papaioannou and Marx. The study supplies an extensive analysis and explores the contemporary relevance of Castoriadis' views regarding the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Hungarian revolt of 1956 and the events of May 1968 in France. It argues for a re-radicalizationof his thought in light of the current capitalist crisis and seeks to trace his radical alternative to crisis by critically examining and further elaborating his positions with respect to socialism, autonomy and revolution"--
List of contents
Introduction: Reading Castoriadis Politically 1 Origins: Early Years in Greece, Migration and Life in France 1.1 Formative years and the historicopolitical setting in Greece 1.2 Cultural milieu and intellectual influences 1.3 The peculiarity of Castoriadis' migration 1.4 Castoriadis in France 2 The Critique of Totalitarianism 2.1 Castoriadis, Lefort and the questioning of Trotsky 2.2 An exchange of letters between Castoriadis and Pannekoek 2.3 'Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR: Four Letters, Four Lies' 2.4 Keeping the question open 3 Subversive Praxis, Open Crisis and Critique 3.1 Castoriadis, Arendt and the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 3.2 Castoriadis and the crisis of Marxism debate 3.3 Louis Althusser: 'At Last the Crisis of Marxism has Exploded!' 3.4 Castoriadis versus Althusser 4 Marx in Question 4.1 Castoriadis, Axelos and Papaioannou: Distinctiveness and the common basis of their critique of Marx 4.2 Castoriadis and Marx 4.3 The limits of Castoriadis' critique 4.4 Freeingor freezing Marx? 5 The Crisis of Modern Societies and the Revival of Emancipatory Politics 5.1 Castoriadis and the crisis of May 1968 5.2 Crisis, reification and class struggle 5.3 Crisis and the odyssey of the project of autonomy 5.4 Towards a radical social transformation: Socialism, autonomy and revolution Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index
About the author
Christos Memos is a Lecturer in Sociology at the Department of Sociology, University of Abertay, UK. He has previously taught at the Department of Politics, University of York. His research interests include Critical Social and Political Theory, the Thought of Cornelius Castoriadis, Marx and Marxism, Council Communism and Anarchism, Social Movements and Anti-capitalism
Report
"Memos's book examines the life and work of a major twentieth-century critical thinker, Cornelius Castoriadis. ... The book is well referenced and refreshingly concise, making it an excellent primer for college courses and accessible to a broader audience. ... it is a fair and balanced assessment of the person and his thought, properly situated in the milieu that shaped his ideas. ... the book succeeds in enticing readers to go delve further in Castoriadis's writings." (John Asimakopoulos, Anarchist Studies, Vol. 23 (2), 2017)
"Memos' book, Castoriadis and Critical Theory: Crisis, Critique and Radical Alternatives, proves to be important and timely. ... Memos' book sets out to provide an in-depth discussion of the political thought of Cornelius Castoriadis, its historical context, his relation to contemporary Marxism, Marx's work itself and the implications of Castoriadis' writings for political action. Memos builds his argument based on a rich amount of minutely researched historical context, and an intimate knowledge of Castoriadis' life and writings." (Christian Huber and Vitor Hugo Klein Jr., ephemera, ephemerajournal.org, February, 2016)
